


This Thing I Can't Replace

by Nevanna



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 13:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4223079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nevanna/pseuds/Nevanna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony and Pepper take a moment between the Battle of New York and the rebuilding that follows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	This Thing I Can't Replace

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from "The Adventure" by Angels and Airwaves.
> 
> This story is dedicated to [KatiaSwift](http://archiveofourown.org/users/KatiaSwift), as a belated birthday gift, with much love.

Tony has been aware for a long time – for longer than anybody knows except for Pepper and himself – that it’s possible for doctors to remove the arc reactor from his chest. They don’t talk about it, and he doesn’t like to think about it too much; if he did, he’d have to consider why he’s less than thrilled with the idea. 

Besides, there’s always been plenty to distract him, whether it was another board meeting, a new variation on his armor, introducing Pepper to Aunt Peggy, or fighting an alien who calls himself a god and wants to let his creepy-crawly pets from another dimension chow down on New York City.

\--

“You should have seen Loki’s face when he tried to put the whammy on me,” Tony says. “Guess he’s used to trying that trick with people who…”

“ _Stark_.” Natasha says his name like she’s unsheathing a blade, one whose business end he’d rather not be anywhere near. She curls a protective hand over Clint Barton’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, Nat,” Barton says around a mouthful of shawarma. “I’m not gonna break down just from hearing someone bring up mind control. Besides…” He waves his fork in Tony’s direction. “I can always take my aids out when I get tired of hearing this guy talk.”

“Hey,” Tony responds. “ _This guy_ is deeply wounded.”

“Looks like we know who needs to toughen up at this table,” Steve Rogers cuts in, “and it’s not Hawkeye.”

“If you’re volunteering to be his sparring partner…” Natasha never finishes her sentence, and her eyes swing to a point above Tony’s shoulder. He turns around, wondering for a second whether he should armor up to face whoever (or whatever) has interrupted their victory party, only to see Pepper standing in the doorway of the restaurant.

She shakes her head. “I get on a plane, and look what happens to New York while I’m gone.”

“Truer words,” Tony manages. Then he’s on his feet and across the room, and she’s got her arms around him.

“Sorry I missed your call,” she whispers in his ear.

“It’s okay. I don’t…” _I don’t know what I would have said_ , Tony tries to tell her, but the words get lost in a noise that he muffles against her shoulder so that the others don’t hear how much it sounds like a sob. For a moment, the space behind his closed eyes _doesn’t_ look like the airless sky of another world.

She disengages from the embrace and waves at the rest of the group. “For those of you who don’t know, I’m Pepper.”

“Good to see you again,” Natasha says with a nod.

Pepper nods back. “You, too.”

Tony realizes that he’s smiling for the first time since he fell back to Earth. “Pepper, I’d like you to meet the Avengers.”

\--

There are a few more things that remain unsaid, at first.

By the time they go to bed that night, Pepper has plans for the days and weeks and months ahead, including press conferences, renovations on Stark Tower, and donations to the organizations that will help people whose homes and workplaces were destroyed in the battle. As she curls up against him under the sheets, skin to skin, Tony starts to tell her what happened.

He thinks that he’ll be able to talk about his jaunt into space, until he’s right up against the telling. His breath hitches mid-sentence, and when he takes a breath, he’s distantly surprised that there’s plenty of air in the room.

Pepper’s face is wonderfully calm in the bluish light from the arc reactor, which saved his life in more ways than one, and started him on the path to where he is – where _they_ are – right this minute. “You can tell me the rest whenever you’re ready,” she says. “I’ll be here.”


End file.
